Renesmee Cullen
by Emm123
Summary: The Cullens never expected child. Ever. But after Renesmee lost her parents to an accident, they welcomed her into the family. Only years later, when they relocate to London to avoid conflict with an outraged wolf pack, that they discovered they knew even less about her than they thought. She reintroduces to them a world they'd thought they'd left behind.
1. Chapter 1

**APOV**

I didn't quite know what pleased me more. The declaration of my brother's engagement, or getting to say "I told you so" to his face. Probably the latter, if I had to be honest with myself.  
I'd known for a while that Edward had some sort of obscure affection for Tanya, even it took him years to admit it. And Tanya… well, she'd always liked-and possibly even loved-him. It was so painfully obvious she was infatuated with him that there were times where I questioned my brother's intelligence level.

The fact of the matter was, she simply adored him, no matter how thick-skulled, temperamental and stubborn he could be. The man spent _decades_ weltering in his denial for god's sake. But it was only recently that'd she'd called all the way up from where they were staying to tell us the news.

By the time she did, the entire household had already knew by then, or course, thanks to me. But still; all that waiting and waiting and waiting… It's a wonder Tanya hadn't gone down on one knee herself.

The Cullen manor was quiet one that night. The four of us had lain ourselves haphazardly around the living room, absorbing the material of their textbooks. We were in the midst of their week off, but come the next and everyone will be faced with midterm tests to pass, and midterm papers to pass in. I decided that that could wait. There were much more pressing matters on my mind anyway.  
Edward had characteristically taken a painfully long time coming to terms with his _feelings_... Then again, he _has_ been alone a long time. It was an unfamiliar and disconcerting sensation for him still. I suppose I could forgive him for the delay, since quite frankly it was to be expected.

I just couldn't wait to start planning. It was so hard focusing on anything else. There was so much to do I didn't even know where to start! The color scheme, the invitations, the bouquet…and oh! The dress! I had to start looking at once. Tanya wouldn't mind if Rose and I ventured out a bit without her, would she? Not that it made a difference, of course.  
I was soon awakened from my thoughts when Emmett gave loud and exaggerated huff. "I have been _staring_ at this page for exactly ten minutes."

"That's about the same amount of time you've ever stuck to a major," Jasper chirped, looking up from his own textbook.

Emmett frowned, "about that."

Jasper lifted his brows, his ocher eyes widened in surprise, "Don't tell me. You're _switching_?"

"You don't what it's _like_," Emmett whimpered. "_Philosophy_-it changes you, man."

Then Jasper started to laugh.

Rosalie, who by contrast had always been very studious and academically successful, never picked her eyes off the page. "Two semesters in a row. That's a record, honey."

"Two and a _half_, thank you," he said, wiggling a finger in front of her face.

I wrinkled my nose in disapproval. "It's probably not a good idea to change it now. This_ is_ your third time, as you know. I think it's time to follow through with what you choose."

"And I think you're right. That's why I _choose_…to drop the class."

"I'm serious, Emmett." As much an we had enough of both, I didn't seea reason for Emmett to waste so much time and money.

He heaved a long sigh, propping himself up on the couch and crossing his arms behind his head. "Oh, Alice. So naïve and…_little_. I'll be okay. Don't you worry."

I rolled my eyes, "I'd believe you if I thought you actually thought this through. You haven't even chosen another major either, have you? Do you have _any_ idea what you want to do?"

"Hey, hey, hey," he said, his hands making halting motions, "One step at a time."

I conceded and didn't say a word after that, figuring that I wasn't the one to have to straighten him up every time he decided to slack off. That was Esme's job. I smiled to myself, visualizing what was coming for him.

After laying idly on the couch for a while doing nothing expect occasionally playing with Rosalie's hair, Emmett looked around the room. "_So_. Anyone heard from Edward or Tanya lately?"

"Do we ever?" she grumbled. I frowned at her obvious disdain for the subject, though not completely surprised. Her relationship with my brother had never truly recovered from years ago when it ruptured. I always knew that Rose was not the forgiving type, but she'd barely spoken a civil word to him since he got back several weeks ago. Of course, Edward received her hostility calmly, and since then they've tried their best to avoid each other. I realized after a minute that I simply couldn't understand how she would behave this way for so long. He was back with his family, where he belonged. Wasn't that all that mattered? Shouldn't what happened in the past, _stay_ in the past?

"Oh, don't look at me like that," she said, misreading me. "They barely ever even bother to call."

"Well, then. I suppose I'll have to plan the entire wedding myself, since they aren't around to stop me," I said lightly, shrugging.

"Yeeeah, you do that," Emmett said.

"Somehow, I don't think Tanya will appreciate it," Jasper added, amused.

I laid my head on his shoulder and tapped his nose. "It's not about what the bride wants, silly. It's about what _I_ want. And I'm thinking…"

"Bouncy house! Ferris wheel! _A space shuttle_?" Emmett shouted one after another, jumping up from his seat.

"_Close_-"

"Oh, I know! You're gonna go to the mall…and _rent_ it."

"I thought it about it…but no."

"Fine, I give up," he crossed his arms, "what's your big plan?"

"Can't tell you that," I smirked.

"Why not?"

"It's a surprise."

"Alice, you can't make it a surprise, it's a _wedding_-" Rosalie cut in.

"_Silence_," I shrieked.

They three of them shared loaded looks with each other behind my back, except that it wasn't really behind my back because saw it before they even decided on it. One thing that I didn't foresee, however, was the phone call. I was the only one who bothered to pick it up, since everyone else had distracted themselves with a new conversation.

"Hello?" I answered, befuddled and curious.

"Alice, is Rosalie there? Can you two come in?" It was my father.

"Of course," I said, alarmed by his tone. "What is it, Carlisle?"

"There's been a… terrible accident. Please, hurry, Alice. I can't stay on any longer. Goodbye."

The line went dead. It might've been the conversation which they had obviously overheard, or maybe it was something they saw on my face; but suddenly the room was very quiet.


	2. Chapter 2

**RosaliePOV**

When Carlisle asked us if we could assist him at the hospital in the middle of the night, Alice and I were shocked. We both had associate's degrees in nursing, so it wasn't something we didn't do often. But Forks was so small it didn't usually require round the clock service. But we did as he asked. I was always looking for more hours there anyway.

The hospital was one of the few places that made me truly happy-the closest thing I had to all I'd ever really wanted. The closest thing I had to humanity.

Yes, it hurt being around all the young, children in the pediacare section, watching their parents visit and knowing that it could never be my life.

It hurt a lot. But I wouldn't have any other job in the world.

Esme finally came downstairs to see us go, her expression mirroring our surprise. Jasper and Emmett were staying with her. "You two can entertain yourself for a few hours, right?" I said, grabbing a jacket for myself-out of habit, of course. It was the winter time.

"Can do." Emmett answered for both of them, his eyes half shut with nonchalance. Alice was quiet as she reached for her keys on the counter, kissing Jasper goodbye on his cheek, whispering only "It's nothing" in his ear. The silence continued until we were both seated in the car and she was revving the engine to her porche.

I opened my mouth to comment but she spoke before I could. "Something's wrong."

"Were you expecting something different?" I said, thinking that it hardly took a psychic to figure that out after a call from the emergency room.

She started to shake her head, but suddenly her eyes took up a blank stare, indicating that she was currently having a vision. I was very used to these things happening out of nowhere, so I watched the road for her just in case she lapsed out completely. A car accident would be quite inconvenient indeed.

But she ended up not needing my help in the end, her hand still held firmly on the wheel, perfectly aligned with the road.

"Edward?" she said suddenly, her vision regaining its focus.

I sighed. "What _about_ Edward, Alice?"

When was everyone going to realize that Edward was never really going to be part of the family anymore? Why did they insist on pretending as if we even saw him more than once every half a decade? The only reason we'd been seeing him so often these past couple of weeks was because his wedding was around the corner. He obviously didn't care enough to stick around otherwise. He and I have never been close before, but I still had trouble coming to terms with the fact that he just…left. Just like that.

Yet he always seemed to find a way into being a topic of discussion these days.

I didn't want to tell him what to do. That wasn't what I wanted at all. If that was the life he wanted, then fine. But didn't we, as the only family he had, have a right to be upset? Why couldn't everyone stop _acting_ like we didn't? It was really starting to grind on my nerves.

Alice was frowning. "He's at the hospital."

That brought me up short.

"But I don't know why," she said, seeing my expression. We turned onto the parking lot. It was mostly deserted. We hurried to our lockers to quickly change into uniforms before Alice led me to where Carlisle was staying. There was a potent smell of fresh blood mixed with dried blood from somewhere deeper in the building. I tried not to think about what that could mean. Carlisle's scent was the easiest for me to recognize. And then there was Edward's, now reasonably familiar. Though I wasn't planning on getting used to that.

I gasped.

We arrived at a small room in the Pediatric floor. Carlisle stood with a clipboard in his hand. Edward was seated on a small hospital bed, his back to me as a girl of about eight years of age tilted her head around him to peak at us.

She was the most beautiful child I'd ever seen. Her big, round brown eyes were curious. I saw that she was dressed in a simple teal tee-shirt, the rest of her small body snuggled under the sheets. It was stained dark red in several places, which I couldn't help but be disturbed by, though she didn't seem to notice. Her long, red locks were frumpy-like she'd been through a struggle. But despite her battered appearance, she was perfectly at ease. Alice and I seemed to be the only ones currently holding her attention.

Edward was speaking to her softly, as if trying to convince her something, stopping when he felt us inside the room.

She had only been paying half attention. She tugged at his coat, "Edward, _look_," she whispered furtively to him. But of course, we could hear everything. He adjusted himself on the bed next her, so that she was laying her head against him and could watch us without having to strain her neck at all.

A million questions zipped through my mind, shocked and confused at how effortlessly at ease she seemed to be with him. Edward was the last person that would try and be close to anyone, _especially_ since I was sure none of us had ever met her in our lives.

But when she had spoken to him, she did it with a sweetness and warmth that you'd think they'd known each other for years. He was smiling at her, not bothering to hide his adoration, that for a moment I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was a real smile. Not like when he smiled at Esme, Alice, or even Tanya. A genuine, unpracticed smile. And it was all for her.

"Who are they?" she whispered into his chest.

"That's Rosalie and Alice," he whispered back, playing along.

"Oh."

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

I blinked. What in the _world_ was going on?

"Hi, sweetie," Alice chirped. "What's your name?" she said, obviously just as spellbound by her as I was as she sat down on the edge of the bed in front of her.

"Renesmee," responded a shy voice. "It's sort of stupidly unconventional, but I don't really have any nicknames," she added as if she couldn't help herself.

For a tenth of a second Alice and I were stunned into silence. She had to have been the most articulate eight-year old I'd ever met. Edward, obviously already acquainted with it, just watched with an amused expression on his face. I sighed inwardly. She was just too perfect.

"Renesmee is a faultlessly beautiful name," Carlisle responded kindly.

"I wish it were simpler," she sniffed.

"Well, Renesmee, we love your name whether you like it or not," Alice touched her nose, making her giggle.

"How are you feeling, honey?" I asked, coming around to her other side. She was in an unusually good mood for a child that had just been in an accident. In fact, I was almost positive she was in shock. She hadn't once mentioned her parents, who were most likely…not as lucky as she was.

At that Edward's ever-present smile faltered a little and I could see deep sorrow and concern for her in his eyes.

_Now you know what caring feels like, _I thought.

His golden eyes met mine. For a second I thought I saw a flicker of anger, but then it was gone.

I felt some guilt afterwards for being so hostile when he's really never, ever purposefully done anything to hurt anyone. But what was true was true.

"I feel fine," Renesmee said easily, keeping me from thinking more on the subject.

I nodded, unconvinced, but not wanting to push her over the edge.

"She woke up about an hour ago," Carlisle said, speaking to both Alice and I now. "No serious injuries, though it's too soon to tell if there was any trauma. I'd recommend letting her get some rest before further analysis." He clicked his pen.

I nodded, eager to do whatever it took to make her well. "We're going to check for any bruises or cuts, okay? And we'll get you some food in your stomach, change you into some clean clothes, and you can get some rest."

At this her eyes widened and she was suddenly alarmed. She looked from Edward, to Alice, to me again. I was mortified. I must've sounded so incredibly insensitive. It was my job to make her feel comfortable and safe, and now I'd gone and overwhelmed her in under five minutes.

But to my irritation, Edward just laughed. I tried to keep my anger under control as I tried to take back some of my words before I obliterated her opinion of me permanently.

"But we don't have to do it all now. Maybe we can start with some new clothes," I said, wanting to touch her, but knowing I shouldn't.

Her expression shifted, but only into a mild look of concern, the crease in her small forehead evident. She looked at Edward again, this time with a look of fear, and I felt sick.

"What's the matter, Renesmee? You'll feel better, I promise," Alice added, coming to my aid.

"I have to change _now_?" she asked.

"Well-"

"In front of-of the _boys_?" she whispered, her eyes flickering to Edward when she thought he wasn't looking.

I laughed along with Alice and Carlisle, relieved. "Good point, Renesmee. You can change _after_ all the boys leave," I hinted. Renesmee relaxed. "Alice, do you think you could get some gowns in the room next door?"

"I'll be right back." She bounced out of sight.

As Edward was getting up to leave, Renesmee's hand shot out to hold his wrist. He froze.

"You can come back later if you want to," she said with an angelic expression none of us could ever have a hope of resisting. Her attachment to him was remarkable. There was a hint of worry in her offer. Like she'd rather have him stay and watch, then leave and not return.

He gave her a crooked smile, crouching next to the bed so that she was looking down at him. "Would you like me to come back?"

She nodded.

"Then you have nothing to worry about, Renesmee," he replied softly. "Get some rest, and I'll be here when you wake up."

She nodded again, watching as he and Carlisle left the room.

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**AN: SOOO? Second chapter. Whatdya think? XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**EPOV(Edward)**

I watched silently as Renesmee slept, the steady intake of her peaceful sleep soothing. I sat in the chair beside her bed, the swirl of shapes and colors and occasional unfamiliar image of someone flashing through her mind like a slideshow. Alice and Rosalie had left to tend to some of the other patients while they waited for her to wake up, but I would be fine sitting in the chair in the dark until she did.

Their minds never strayed from her, both of them completely under her spell. They adored her from the very moment they saw her. It was certainly understandable. She was intelligent, warm, affectionate... It was clear that whoever had raised her had done an extraordinary job of it.

But it wasn't an excuse.

They need only fulfill their duties as her caretakers, but it was unacceptable to get attached, or worse, risk letting Renesmee get attached. She'd lost enough already.

Suddenly she stirred slightly, and her breathing hitched, as if she'd just been interrupted by a nightmare. But at the moment the slideshow only continued, and I frowned, contemplating her reaction. Rosalie, nearly three floors away, debated on whether she should quickly come and check in on her. But then Renesmee's breathing returned to normal, and she decided that she had better disturb her sleep.

Alice had briefly seen Rosalie barge into the hospital room in a vision before she'd had changed her mind, and promptly snorted.

_As if Edward would let anything happen to her._

Without thinking my mind wondered to just a few hours ago when the feel of her soft, precious head resting on me made the world seem a little less gray. When the hardness of my face melted into a smile for the first time in what felt like an eternity. When the innocence and marvel in her brown eyes was so painfully familiar and beautiful to me.

In that same instant, her audible breathing brought me back to reality, and I realized that while I was worried that my family was becoming too emotionally involved, I myself had involuntarily done the same.

I'd arrived at the hospital minutes after the accident, finding her just as she was regaining consciousness. Renesmee's parents hadn't survive the accident. She was alone, helpless and disoriented. Her humanly fragility awakened something in me that I hadn't realized still existed. From the moment she opened her eyes and on I felt compelled to do as she wished. I was just as under her spell as everyone else.

The only difference was that I could control myself. I could put aside my own needs for the sake of the child whose life would surely never be the same again. That was my own personal vow to her.

**RPOV (Renesmee)**

Edward was there, just like he promised. I didn't know why, but I felt a lot of relief and I was happy. He smiled at me when I woke up.

"You're still here!"

Instantly I jumped from my bed and sat on his lap like I did with my dad. He caught me right as I was flying. After a little while I was kind of cold. He seemed to know this and grabbed the cover form the bed and wrapped it around me.

I liked it at the hospital. Carlisle is the best doctor I'd ever seen! Alice and Rosalie were really nice to me. Rosalie kind of reminded me of my mother, and Alice made me wish I had a sister like her. Last night after Rosalie gave me a bath, she tickled me until I couldn't even breathe anymore. Then she made fun of Edward's hair, and said he needed to comb it. I liked his big, red hair, but I still thought it was funny.

I looked up at Edward's golden eyes. He kind of reminded me of my father a little bit too. He was so gentle, and kind. He made everything seem like it was going to be okay. I knew that eventually, once I got better, and mom and dad got better, I would have to leave him. It made me really sad, but I tried not to think about it too much.

Then something came to mind. "Since you and Alice have the same last name, does that mean you're brother and sister?"

"Mhmm. Alice, Rosalie and I are all adopted," he said in a melodic voice.

"And Carlisle?"

"Our father."

I frowned. They barely looked anything alike. Except maybe that they all had golden eyes. Rosalie had long blonde hair, pale skin and she was so pretty she could have as many boyfriends as she wanted. Alice was pretty too, though. She was short, and had black, spiky hair. She was always smiling, and she had so much energy. If I could, I would grow up just like them.

I rested on Edward's chest as he held me quietly, so thankful that he was spending all this time with me. It gave me joy to know that he cared this much about me.

Suddenly the door flew open and I heard Alice's sweet voice yelling "Incoming!"

Rosalie held the door for her as she brought in food on a huge tray with wheels. I'd never seen so much at one time in my life. There were sausages, waffles, eggs, juice, more eggs, toast…

As I looked at it I realized how hungry I was.

"Is all this for _me_?" I said in an excited voice. But then I remembered that Edward hadn't eaten either and that maybe I had to share.

"Go ahead and eat as much as you want," he said, as if reading my mind.

"And more, if need be," Rosalie assured me as Alice parked the tray in front of me. Edward propped me up so I could see it better. There was so much I didn't even know where to start.

"Don't eat with your hands, honey, you'll dirty your shirt," Rosalie added, watching me closely.

I thought I heard Edward sigh behind me.

After I finished eating Rosalie asked me a lot of questions. Then Carlisle came in and asked me even more questions. Edward and Alice were with me the whole time. Edward seemed to be very troubled, but he tried to hide it by smiling at me every time I snuck a peak at him. He always seemed sad about something. Even when he laughed it was still kind of sad.

I was sitting on the bed as Alice stroked my hair. Carlisle was still writing things down, when I realized I had a question of my own.

"When will mom and dad get better?" I asked him in a tiny voice. They were probably wondering if I was okay. I was missing them both, but I didn't want to ask to go visit them because I thought they would say no.

Carlisle, Alice, Rosalie all looked at me, their expressions mirroring varying degrees of shock. Edward just looked like he was in a lot of pain, still as stone.

But then I realized something that should've been clear. "They're not getting better, are they?"

"No, Renesmee, you're parents are not going to get better." Carlisle's voice was soft. I looked at everyone else at the room, and my spirit fell.

Tears welled up in my eyes, "Why not?"

He forced himself to continue, "Your mother and father didn't make it. They won't come back". The tears were flowing freely now. "I'm so sorry."

They were all gathered around me, their saddened expressions offering comfort and kindness. I lost my parents, and everything I had. And now I was going to lose them too. Suddenly the sobs came so violently I gave up on trying to stifle them.

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**AN: ThxGiving update :D**


	4. Chapter 4

APOV

Today was unbearable. Rose and I haven't been home for two days now, nor did we want to leave. And nor did Edward-which surprised no one. The other nurses, who'd taken notice of our extended stay, insisted that we go home and freshen up, but Rosalie and I simultaneously refused. Renesmee didn't need a bunch of strangers fussing and stumbling all over her. She needed _us_, now more than ever.

She cried for about two hours, and every minute of it was torture. After a while she forced herself to stop, but somehow that made it worse. I stayed with her whenever I could, stroking her hair, reading her stories, playing games. I did anything that would come to mind, just to distract her from the pain.

My pain.

But it was a lost cause from the beginning-which I knew. But still, I couldn't do nothing. Whenever someone wasn't around-which wasn't often, since Edward, Rose and even Carlisle took turns keeping her company-she would sit in her room mutely and lie down or stare blankly at nothing in particular. Sometimes she would go into fits of sobs when she thought no could hear.

Something had to be done. And I had a pretty good idea what.

That afternoon I called Carlisle, Rose and Edward into a small room conference room in the hospital while Renesmee was in a nap.

I cleared my throat, "I think we can agree that this situation has been hard for us to watch," That was an obvious understatement. Renesmee had been the highlights of all our days since she arrived. Not even Edward could deny that we'd grown a huge affection for her. "And I never want to see her like that again."

Edward's eyes were shut. "Alice," he hissed, reading my thoughts.

"She needs a family," I continued on. "We could adopt her. We could take care of her. She already knows us, and likes us. It would be perfect. Think of how happy everyone would be," I forced out before I lost my courage.

Carlisle looked thoughtful, but Edward was just angry.

"That's a very long discussion."

"I could do it," Rosalie said suddenly. "Carlisle, I could raise her. I'll be a good mother to her. I-I love her."

"The social services will be here soon. She does have a distant relative down in La Push, and they almost always get top priority in these situations. It won't be easy. But if you're serious about this…"

"I am."

"_No_," he growled. "Carlisle, you can't let her do this."

"It's my decision!"

"She's just a child!" Edward retorted, just as loud. "You're…a _vampire_. It's too dangerous. Perhaps you'd see that if you weren't always thinking of yourself."

Rosalie looked like she might rip his head off, "How _dare_ you. I'm thinking of _her_."

"Please, don't. I didn't bring you here to fight," I pleaded. "Just here me out."

"Continue," Carlisle urged, eager for it to stop.

I took a deep breath, not bother to even look at Edward since I already knew what his reaction was going to be. "There might be another way."

Rosalie sighed, "You think Carlisle and Esme should adopt her." It was a flat statement, and I could tell I'd hurt her feelings.

"That's definitely a possibility, but it wasn't what I was thinking."

I finally leveled my gaze on him, but he was looking at the floor. "I can't. You know that I can't," Edward said in a low voice, reading my thoughts again and answering them out loud.

"Yes, you can. You can adopt her. She's already yours. Haven't you seen how attached she is to you? She's so different with you than with any of us."

"It's impossible," he whispered.

I sighed, "Not impossible."

All three pairs of eyes flew to my face. "It was so long ago that I barely even remember it. I couldn't see her face very clearly. She was half-facing the other way. She was older, and she was calling after her father. She was calling after you."

"You had a _vision_ of her?"

I shook my head. "After Bella died, I thought it was impossible. I thought I was losing it or something, so I just put it out of my mind." Edward's eyes were shut again, and I didn't know if he imagining what I'd just described, or whether the sound of her name had brought him fresh pain. "But here she is, right in front of you. And you're a different person because of it. I've seen it. I know it's only been a couple of days, but she needs you now."

_Admit it, Edward. You need her too._

It was a moment before he murmured again, "Impossible."

"If he won't do it, I will," Rosalie said firmly.

"_Carlisle_," he pleaded one last time.

Our father was torn, "All right. How about this? We talk to Bella about adoption, and see what she thinks of this before we rush into any decisions."

I beamed, "That's a fantastic idea!"

Edward's expression was hard and distant, but Rosalie seemed satisfied. "I think we should bring everyone else into this," she said promptly.

"I think you're right," Carlisle said. "Alice can you-?"

"-Already on it," I said, dialing up the house on my smartphone, ignoring Edward's sullenness.

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**AN: Very short chapter. :)**


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